Ryans likes energy Kelly brings

PHILADELPHIA – Seven-year veteran DeMeco Ryans has been around the block long enough to know the Eagles played a lot like their head coach last year. Old and tired pretty much covers it.

Naturally Ryans embraces the style of Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. The new guy doesn’t have a lick of NFL experience unless you count talking to Bill Belichick.

“I don’t worry about it because each coach has his own style that he brings to the NFL,” Ryans said Thursday. “The track record that Chip has in college is definitely a good one. With him coming in and what he’s done at Oregon, I’m excited to have him as my coach.

“Chip to me is a high-energy guy. And I think that’s something that we definitely need here. He’s a high-energy guy. Guys are in tune to what he’s saying. I like that about him. I like that he has a plan and everything is geared toward that plan.”

The 28-year-old Ryans and his teammates are in the first full week of their Kelly adventure. By now the math has sunk in. Kelly signed a five-year contract worth more than $30 million. He’s going to get every opportunity to succeed, which is more than a lot of the players competing for jobs can say.

Oh, and by the way, in case no one else realizes it, Ryans can play in what eventually will be a 3-4 defense. The defense, you may recall, the Eagles said he didn’t fit when they acquired him from the Houston Texans.

“It was a big perception that DeMeco doesn’t fit in the 3-4, 4-3, whatever,” Ryans said. “I played in that defense. I played with the Texans in the 3-4 defense when we were the No. 1, the No. 2 defense in the league. So if I didn’t fit in there we wouldn’t have been that highly ranked. It’s all about being versatile. The 4-3, 3-4, whatever it is this coaching staff is looking for me to do, I’m willing to do that. And I’ve done both.”

•The Eagles released their preseason opponents.

The Eagles entertain the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers and oppose the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets on the road.